Decision
by DesertVixen
Summary: One-shot. Frank has to make a decision after checking his mail . Not related to the "Barriers" continuity.


DECISION

By desert_vixen

Author's Notes: This was written by request for a friend who wanted to see Frank wrestle with the Nancy or Callie question (since it's so often written the other way around). It's not part of the "Barriers" continuity. Many thanks to my fabulous beta Amy, as well as to Kat who requested it, for your input and advice.

I've placed it during fall of their sophomore year of college.

I don't own any of the characters, just taking them for a spin!

---- ---- ----

OCTOBER

He read the letter twice, and then a third, slow time, waiting for the words to change.

They didn't. Her graceful handwriting still spelled out the same message. She had broken things off with Ned. There was no reason given, but he knew that part of it had to do with him. Part of it had to do with the kisses they'd shared, and with a thousand other things, like the time Ned had saved her in Santa Teresa, and she had thought Ned was Frank, and called out his name. Then there were all the times he had saved her, or helped her save herself – because both of them were drawn to mysteries like moths to flame.

Ned was out of the picture. She had made that clear, but there wasn't a word about how she felt – or how she expected him to feel, what she expected him to do.

She had not written Callie's name, but there was no need for her to do so. Every time the two of them had found themselves in a serious situation, every time they'd given into temptation, they had been honest with each other – Nancy was involved with Ned, and Frank was involved with Callie. The two of them had pushed other feelings down and concentrated on friendship – a friendship they both valued enough to protect from hormone-fueled stupidity.

He wondered if she ever dreamed about him. He dreamed about her, sometimes, although he usually woke up feeling guilty. Callie was his girlfriend, and if he was having intense dreams about someone, it should be her.

He wished Nancy would have hinted, or demanded, or given some indication. Something. A clue. She had written that she "just thought he should know".

Annoyed, he slid the card into one of his most boring textbooks – safe from prying eyes – and headed out to dinner.

Afterward, while glancing over homework, he thought about picking up the phone, and calling her, asking her – everything. How she really felt about breaking up with Ned, how she wanted him to feel, to act, to be.

Frank shook his head. He needed to get the card and its message off his mind. He had a date tomorrow.

--- --- ---

"You've been distracted all evening," Callie said lightly as they left the theater where they'd been attending a student production of West Side Story. "Worried about class?"

"Sorry." He felt ashamed. He'd been distracted by another woman, a woman who wasn't even here. He'd been distracted by that damned card.

They walked back to her dorm building – campus was supposed to be pretty safe, but there was no reason for her to walk around by herself at night. It was all part of their standing Wednesday night date, as they had light classes on Thursday, part of the comfortable adjustment they'd made from high school to college.

He kissed her, feeling the familiar fit of her body against his. They had been a steady couple since the summer after their sophomore year of high school, and had experienced ups and downs. They had been there for each other, even when his detective work and mysteries had kept them from spending as much time together as they would have liked. They'd supported each other after Iola Morton – her best friend, his brother's sweetheart – had been killed in a car bomb meant for one of the Hardys. She had been patient, steady – everything a girlfriend should be. Mysteries weren't her thing, but she went along with him, and there was no law that said they had to like all the same things.

Callie Shaw was the only girl he'd ever said "I love you" to, the only girl he'd ever slept with – his only girl.

She just wasn't the only girl he thought about, or the only girl he'd kissed.

He and Nancy had never put a word on their relationship – but when they came back together after being apart, it always felt good and right, natural. She never got annoyed at a mystery, and sometimes she made his heart stop when she took a risk. He counted on her, in a way he would never expect to count on Callie, both to back him up and to step out on a branch all by herself.

"I'd invite you up, but your mind is obviously somewhere else," Callie said. She kissed his cheek, dashed into the building, leaving him to walk on with his thoughts racing.

He could ignore the letter.

But he knew he wouldn't.

---- ---- ----

NOVEMBER

It was good to be home, Frank thought – as much as he enjoyed college, there was something about being home for Thanksgiving that just seemed right. Seeing his brother, his family, his friends – not to mention stuffing himself on his mother and Aunt Gertrude's cooking. He'd really been looking forward to it, thinking that at home he would able to think about the letter. He'd been forced to push it to the back of his mind so he could focus on classes and college life, but it was still hidden in a textbook he knew Callie would never open. He and Nancy emailed back and forth, staying caught up on each other's life, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her bluntly what she wanted, what message she'd been trying to send. It was silly, but the two times he had started the email, he'd ended up deleting the draft.

Then, last week, his mother had dropped a bombshell on him during the weekly phone call.

His parents had invited Carson Drew, and Nancy, to visit for Thanksgiving. Nancy had emailed him about it as well, but again she had carefully said nothing beyond the fact that she looked forward to seeing everyone.

He hadn't told Callie. It seemed cowardly, but he couldn't see what it would change. Callie was looking forward to a visit to Bayport, even if her parents weren't in town. With their only child an adult, the Shaws enjoyed traveling, especially on holidays when the rates were good. In turn, Callie would have the house to herself, which had generally spelled out 'major party time'. The fact that his mother had invited an old family friend and his daughter to dinner should have no bearing on anything between him and Callie. At least, that was what he was trying to tell himself.

Focus on the turkey and pie, he told himself firmly – college cafeteria cooking was survivable, but he wouldn't mind eating some real food for dinner. Callie sat in the passenger seat, reading the latest Nora Roberts novel – all the reading for her classes made it hard to fit in reading for fun, between homework, social activities, and actually going to class.

"Almost there," he said cheerfully. "I wonder if Mom's got any snacks out."

Callie laughed. "Didn't we just eat breakfast?"

"Three hours ago," he pointed out reasonably. "It's ten, and we're not going to eat dinner until two."

She shook her head, watched the familiar scenery roll by. She liked Syracuse, but Bayport was home, and familiar. As they parked, Callie looked at the cars on the street near the house. It seemed like there were more than normal around the Hardys' house. "Did your parents invite anyone else?"

He took they key out of the ignition. It couldn't be put off now that she had given him the perfect opening. "Mom told me last week that she was inviting the Drews for Thanksgiving."

Callie turned to look at him. "Nancy Drew?"

"And her father, and I think maybe her aunt."

"You didn't think to mention this?" Callie asked quietly.

"I didn't think it really mattered," he replied, knowing it sounded unconvincing, but unable to think of anything more intelligent to say. He opened the car door, cutting off the conversation.

They walked across the yard, hand in hand. There was raking to do, he noted, predicting that afternoon would likely find him and Joe with rakes in hand. Frank didn't bother to knock, knowing that on Thanksgiving the door would almost certainly be unlocked. Christmas was more of a private family holiday, but Thanksgiving was the day that people felt free to drop by, especially after the desserts had been served.

He could hear the television in the living room, but passed through to the kitchen. His mother and aunt were there, and Laura set down the pie she was removing from the oven. "Frank! Callie! We've been waiting for you!" She embraced Frank, and after a moment, Callie. "How was the drive?"

"Pretty good," he said. "How is everything here at home?"

"Oh, the same as usual," Laura replied, then turned around as the door to the basement opened. "Good, I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost."

The girl who had been such a distraction over the past month stepped into his mother's kitchen.

"Sorry," Nancy said, addressing his mother. "It took me forever to find what you wanted." It wasn't until she'd set the box of glass jars down that she saw him. "Frank. Callie."

"Nancy." He didn't dare hug her, not with things the way they were, not in front of Callie. "It's good to see you."

--- ---- ----

"So," Joe said slowly. "Ned's history."

Frank nodded.

"How long have you known?" This, thought Joe, was big-time news. A person would have to be blind not to notice the sparks that flew between his big brother and the girl detective, and he had excellent vision when it came to people.

"October." Frank hoped his one-word replies would give Joe a hint that he did not want to be having this conversation.

"Interesting." Joe stood. "I think I'll go see if Mom needs any help in the kitchen."

Frank watched him walk away, then leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. He could hear his father and Carson Drew discussing the game, but he couldn't bring himself to join the conversation. He supposed he could always plead tiredness from the drive, but he knew that wasn't the reason. It was shaping up to be a long day.

He must have drifted a little bit, because he was surprised to feel Callie sit down next to him, brush her fingers over his throat. "Tired?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "A little."

"I thought I'd come out here and keep you company. Between Nancy and your aunt Gertrude, your mother doesn't need any help." Her eyes were serious. "You should have told me."

"I didn't think it would matter," he said rather feebly. He'd known it would matter, that it did matter. That it mattered was the whole problem. Since he'd read that letter for the first time, things had been just the slightest bit different. It had been a distraction that lurked in the back of his thoughts, popping up when he let his defenses down, or when he dreamed.

She raised an eyebrow, but dropped the subject.

---- ---- ----

Joe had been roped into peeling potatoes, but thought it would be well worth it to find out what was on Nancy's mind. She'd drawn the slightly better chore of chopping fruit for the fruit salad his aunt was making.

"So, you've been single again for how long?"

"About two months." Nancy smiled at Joe. "I should have emailed you, I guess, but it's been pretty busy."

She wondered what it meant that Frank apparently had not said anything about the card she'd sent him. She'd realized after mailing it that maybe she should have said more than she had, but it had been too late to get the card back. She didn't want to make him feel obligated – she had just wanted him to know that she had considered the possibility, that she remembered the time they'd spent in that cabin at Mount Mirage. If she was honest with herself, she wouldn't have minded at all if he'd called her, shown up on her door, made an offer. They had something, but she was hard-pressed to put a name on what exactly it was – friendship, camaraderie, love. She just knew they were close, and that she couldn't imagine her life without him somehow a part of it.

---- ---- ----

Frank found himself seated across from Nancy, with Joe seated beside her. Part of him wanted to move, wanted to not have to watch her across the table the entire meal, but the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention. He could tell Callie was already edgy. She sat next to him, and he could almost feel the tension rolling off her in waves. His father said a short grace, and then what seemed like an endless round of dishes began to be passed around the table.

The conversation stayed pretty light, with Fenton Hardy and Carson Drew trading stories to entertain the table. The conversation at their end of the table was almost non-existent, despite Joe's best efforts to keep something going. Callie said little, while Nancy seemed to be paying more attention to her food than anything else. Frank wondered if anyone else noticed the stiffness of the situation, and was grateful when his aunt started bringing out the desserts. He didn't even argue when he was drafted for dish duty, along with his father.

When his mother started rounding people up for a game of some sort, Callie pulled him aside. "I'd like to go home."

They walked in silence. Normally, he would have enjoyed the crisp fall weather that hinted at snow, the changing leaves, the familiar scenery. Callie walked beside him, silent, and he noticed that she had made no attempt to take his hand as she usually did.

She was pissed.

When they reached the house, she paused on the doorstep. "Coming in?"

"Of course."

Once inside, she turned on him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it would make a difference. Mom only told me last week."

"Did you know she was single?"

"Yes," he said after a long pause. "I knew."

"And you didn't think that mattered?" Her voice rose angrily. "You didn't think it mattered? You didn't think it mattered that Nancy's single now?"

"You're my girlfriend," he said, starting to feel a little angry himself. "It's not a competition."

"Isn't it?" Callie raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you've been so distracted lately?"

His silence was answer enough. He could see tears forming in her eyes, and felt guilt squeeze him. "Callie…"

"Don't. I don't want to talk about it."

"What do you want?"

"I want Nancy Drew not to be an issue between us."

"You're the one making her an issue." Even as he said the words, he knew they weren't entirely true. He'd crossed the line with Nancy a time or two, gotten closer than either of them should have allowed, given that they both had relationships. They'd stopped themselves, but he knew it was a problem every time they were thrown together. Nancy understood how he felt about mysteries, understood that solving puzzles was in his blood, and was a partner. Callie tolerated the mysteries, enjoyed the glamour, but he knew she didn't get that sometimes he couldn't stop, couldn't break away.

"I don't think so."

It was hard to argue with her when he knew she was at least half-right.

She drew a deep breath. "I think you should leave, Frank."

He left to walk home alone.

---- ---- ---

When he got back to his parents' house, there was an impromptu football game getting ready to start. In his absence, Tony Prito and Chet Morton had showed up, along with Chet's father.

Chet spotted him first. "Just in time!"

"How are the teams shaping up?" Frank said. He looked around, and saw Tony standing close to Nancy, the two of them talking animatedly. She was laughing, the wind blowing her hair around her face, bright against her navy blue sweater. He felt a spurt of annoyance, then buried it. It was hardly his place to be annoyed at his friend. Nancy was single, after all, and so was Tony.

Fenton Hardy tossed the football in the air. "We were thinking young guns versus the old men and girl."

In spite of the dark thoughts that had accompanied him on the walk home, Frank laughed. "You're on."

"Catch," his father said, firing the ball at his chest. Frank caught it easily. "You can kick off."

"Kick off" wasn't meant to be taken literally. He hadn't played football through high school like his younger brother, the star running back, but he could put the ball down the 'field' easily enough. Their dad was no athletic slouch, either, and the players managed to keep the game lively enough. The application of the rules was pretty loose, and he wasn't surprised to hear his brother and Nancy bickering loudly.

"Tired enough to give up?" Tony yelled at the other team.

"In your dreams," Nancy yelled back.

A few plays later, Frank had to laugh as Nancy managed to trip Joe up. "Aren't the girls supposed to fall at your feet?" she teased as he lay there.

"Just wait, Drew," he shot back. "Just wait."

---- ---- ---

She sat on the love seat in front of the fireplace, watching the flames. It was late, but she wasn't tired enough to go to sleep. It had been an enjoyable day, but she'd felt the tension. Frank had seemed relaxed enough during the football game, and she had certainly enjoyed watching him. She had toyed with the idea of trying to tackle him, but there had not been an opportunity. They'd finally called the game a draw, and ended up watching the Thanksgiving television specials. Now the house was quiet and dark, and it was easy enough for her to start daydreaming about sitting here with Frank.

"Nancy."

She turned to see him standing next to the couch, as if she'd summoned him. "Frank."

He sat down next to her, stretching his legs out, watching the fire for a long moment before he spoke. "We need to talk, Nancy."

She didn't have to ask what they needed to talk about. "I'm sorry. Dad sort of sprung this visit on me."

"Why did you send me that card?"

There was no need for him to specify what card he meant, but she stared into the fire for a long moment before she answered. "I wanted you to know that Ned and I were through. I didn't think I had to tell you that I was…interested," Nancy said softly. "But I didn't want to force you to do anything you didn't really want to do."

"Why did you break up with Ned?" he asked in a rush.

"I didn't leave him because of you. We just weren't who we wanted each other to be, and decided it was better to part as friends. He's been a big part of my life." She drew in a deep breath and faced him squarely. "I don't know what to call our relationship," she said after a long silent moment. "I just know that if you weren't in my life, there would be a huge hole."

He leaned forward and kissed her, sliding a hand over her shoulders to draw her closer. After a moment of stillness, she was kissing him back, her mouth opening under his as she moved closer, allowing him to pull her onto his lap. When he ended the kiss, she leaned forward, resting her forehead against his.

"Callie's going to break up with me," he said quietly. "I could see it in her eyes tonight. She's jealous of you."

"She should be," Nancy said huskily, and kissed him again. "I'd certainly be jealous in her place. I've missed you."

"You could have been a little clearer in that card," he said after a long moment. "It's been driving me crazy, trying to figure out what you were trying to say."

"What if I had said straight out for you to come to Chicago?" She asked, her voice serious.

"I would have at least called," he said after a moment. "Callie and I…we've been together a long time."

"I know. I didn't want to force you to choose," Nancy said quietly. "But I was certainly hoping you would choose me."

He kissed her again, and for awhile they didn't bother to talk.

---- ---- ----


End file.
